Systems and methods for providing an interactive media presentation

ABSTRACT

A system for providing an interactive presentation to an audience device is provided. The system interfaces with a database storing presentation content and a workspace. The workspace stores the presentation content and additional content and storing one or more access policies and being associated with a first user. The system comprises a processor for executing one or more modules comprising a content creation and updating module configured to enable an updating of the presentation content and the additional content according to the one or more access policies; and a content access interface module configured to determine one or more portions of the presentation content and the additional content for accessing at the audience device according to the one or more access policies. A method for providing an interactive media presentation is also provided.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/970,537, filed Mar. 26, 2014, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to media content hosting, and morespecifically, to methods and systems for providing an interactive mediapresentation.

BACKGROUND

Online presentation software tools enable a presenter to make apresentation to remote audiences over a network. Typically the softwaretools enable the presenter to send a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) viaan electronic message (e.g., E-mail, Outlook™ invitation, etc.). Theaudiences can then access the presentation by connecting to the URLthrough a software browser. Some of the online presentation softwaretools also enable the presenter to receive information from theaudiences (e.g., opinions about the content presented) during thepresentation.

However, existing online presentation software does not enable dynamicalselection of content for presentation based on an engagement between thepresenter and the audience. Moreover, existing online presentationsoftware tools also do not provide a means for the audiences and otherpeople to engage with the presenter when the presenter is notpresenting. Furthermore, existing online presentation software tools donot provide a means to track and quantify such an engagement, even whensuch engagement data can assist the presenter in improving thepresentation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this disclosure, illustrate several embodiments and, togetherwith the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary system for providing aninteractive media presentation, consistent with embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 2A-2E are block diagrams illustrating an exemplary interactivepresentation system for providing an interactive media presentation,consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary data structure forproviding a workspace associated with an interactive media presentation,consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A-B are diagrams illustrating exemplary representations ofengagement data provided to facilitate the conducting of a presentation,consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5A-5D are diagrams illustrating exemplary interfaces for providingan interactive media presentation, consistent with embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for providing aninteractive media presentation, consistent with embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments, the examples ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible,the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to referto the same or like parts.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system for providing aninteractive presentation to an audience device, the system interfacingwith a database storing presentation content and a workspace, theworkspace storing the presentation content and additional content andstoring one or more access policies and being associated with a firstuser. The system comprises a processor for executing one or moremodules. The one or more modules comprise a content creation andupdating module configured to enable an updating of the presentationcontent and the additional content according to the one or more accesspolicies. The system also comprises a content access interface moduleconfigured to determine one or more portions of the presentation contentand the additional content for accessing at the audience deviceaccording to the one or more access policies.

In some embodiments, the content creation and updating module furtherincludes a content workspace module configured to receive a request fromthe audience device to participate in the interactive presentation,create a copy of the workspace, and provide the copy of the workspacefor accessing by the audience device. In some embodiments, the workspacecan be associated with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which caninclude a predetermined string configured to indicate that the copy ofthe workspace is provided to enable the audience device to participatein the interactive presentation. In some embodiments, The URL can enablethe content access interface module to determine to display a designatedcontent to the audience until the interactive presentation starts. TheURL can also be associated with another workspace designated by thefirst user.

In some embodiments, the content creation and updating module is furtherconfigured to include display configuration information in an electronicfile storing the presentation content, the display configurationinformation enabling the audience device to adjust a displaying of thepresentation content.

In some embodiments, the content creation and updating module is furtherconfigured to receive and store updates to the additional content by asecond user. The workspace can also store contact information of thesecond user. In some embodiments, the content creation and updatingmodule can detect an update to the presentation content and/or theadditional content, and notify the second user about the detectedupdate. In some embodiments, the notification of the second user cancomprise storing a message at a workspace associated with the seconduser.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a presentationanalytics module configured to generate an assessment of a quality ofengagement between the first user and the audience, and determine theone or more portions of the presentation content for displaying to theaudience device based on the assessment. In some embodiments, thepresentation analytics module can also analyze the additional content,and generate the assessment of a quality of engagement based on theanalysis. In some embodiments, the presentation analytics module canalso detect a selection of a presentation slide for displaying by theaudience during the interactive presentation, and generate theassessment of a quality of engagement based on the detected selection.In some embodiments, the content creation and updating module is alsoconfigured to enable the first user to solicit a response from a seconduser associated with the audience device during the interactivepresentation, and wherein the assessment of a quality of engagement isgenerated based on the response from the audience.

In some embodiments, the content access interface module furthercomprises a presentation content delivery module configured todynamically modify the one or more access policies dynamically duringthe interactive presentation. In some embodiments, the presentationcontent delivery can modify the one or more access policies to enablethe audience to access a first portion of the presentation content whilethe first user is accessing a second portion of the presentationcontent. The content creation and updating module can also dynamicallymodify the one or more access policies based on a response from anaudience associated with the audience device during the interactivepresentation.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a communication moduleconfigured to enable and record communication between a second user anda third user.

Embodiments of the present disclosure also provides a method forproviding an interactive media presentation, the method beingimplemented by a system interfacing with a database storing presentationcontent and a workspace, the workspace storing the presentation contentand additional content and storing one or more access policies. Themethod comprises: receiving, from an audience device, a request to jointhe interactive media presentation; creating a copy of the workspace;providing the copy of the workspace for accessing by the audiencedevice; selecting a first portion of the presentation content stored atthe copy of the workspace for displaying at the audience device;receiving feedback information from the audience device; and selecting asecond portion of the presentation content for displaying based on thefeedback information. In some embodiments, the selecting of the firstportion of the presentation content comprises updating the one or moreaccess policies dynamically during the interactive media presentation.

Embodiments of the present disclosure facilitate engagement betweenpresenter and audiences by providing a workspace for users to sharetheir opinions about a presentation with other designated users.Embodiments of the present disclosure also enable the presenters tocollect analytics on their presentations from various sources, includingthe opinions collected on the workspace, and to improve the engagementbased on the collected analytics.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing at a high level system 100 for providing aninteractive media presentation between a presenter device 102 toparticipant devices 104, using some or all of the embodiments of thepresent disclosure described herein. Contents of the media presentationcan be uploaded from presenter device 102, or other device, to a hostingsystem 106, which can also host the media presentation. Content may alsobe created at the hosting system 106. The contents of the mediapresentation can include any media data, such as video, audio, text,pictures, polls, and other interactive content. Presenter device 102 cantransmit control data configured to control the flow of the mediapresentation, through network 110, to hosting system 106. Hosting system106 can transmit data for the media presentation to participant devices104 through networks 112 and 114. Hosting system 106 can also receivedata related to the media presentation from participant devices 104through networks 112 and 114. The data can include responses transmittedby the participants via participant devices 104, making the mediapresentation interactive.

In some embodiments, hosting system 106 enables a presenter to create aworkspace associated with the media presentation. The workspace enablesinteraction between the presenter and the audience, before, duringand/or after the presentation. For example, the workspace enables thepresenter and the audiences to annotate the content in the mediapresentation, to add comments and ask questions, etc., and thisinformation can be stored in the workspace. Hosting system 106 alsoenables creating of a network of users associated with the mediapresentation. For example, a user with access to the workspace (e.g.,the presenter, the audience, and/or other people) can set differentaccess rights to different parts of the information stored in theworkspace, and associate the different access rights with differentusers. As a result, one or more associations between the users and themedia presentation can be created via the workspace. Host system 106 canalso standardize at least some of the stored content at a workspace(including the presentation content, the comments, the annotations,etc.) to a single format, and allow the converted content to beretrieved by searching according to the associated access rights. Hostsystem 106 also enables multiple users to follow an event with respectto the media presentation by detecting the event (e.g., a new comment isstored in the associated workspace, a user has made a comment about themedia presentation on an external website, the presentation contentstored at the workspace has been modified, etc.), and notifying theusers about the event.

In some embodiments, hosting system 106 also provides analytical datafor assessing a quality of engagement between the presenter and theaudience during the presentation. Hosting system 106 can extract datarelated to the media presentation, such as data collected during a livepresentation (e.g., gestures and audio of the presenter), comments aboutthe presentation (from internal sources such as the associated workspaceand external sources such as the Internet), etc. Based on all thesedata, hosting system 106 can provide an assessment of the presentation,which can include inferences, recommendations, sentiments, contextualintelligence, insights, key concepts, key messages, etc. regarding themedia presentation. In some embodiments, hosting system 106 can alsoderive an inference about a personal preference of an audience based onthese data, and provide automatic customization of the presentationbased on inferred personal preference, during a presentation to thataudience.

Presenter device 102 and participant devices 104 can be a mobile deviceor computer interface such as, for example, a mobile telephone, atablet, a computer (which may be part of or incorporated/embedded in amoveable platform) or consumer electronics device that may includewearable technology. Hosting system 106 can include one or moreprogrammed computers and associated hardware/software configured in acomputer server environment that can communicate with presenter device102 and participant devices 104. Networks 110, 112, and 114 can beeither a wireless network or a wired network, and can be at differentgeographical locations.

The system and techniques described in the present disclosure may be,among other things, used and/or employed in systems for advertising, anymeetings involving two or more people, conferences and events, broadcasttelevision, information for tourist attractions, Product or serviceinformation, teaching, and information delivery.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary interactivepresentation system 200 for providing an interactive media presentation,consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure. In someembodiments, interactive presentation system 200 can be implemented aspart of or the entirety of hosting system 106 of FIG. 1. Interactivepresentation system 200 includes a content access interface module 202,a content creation and updating module 204, and a presentation analyticsmodule 206.

Content access interface module 202 allows a device 210 (e.g., presenterdevice 102 and participant devices 104 of FIG. 1, and a device operatedby other users, etc.) to access the content of the media presentationand the associated workspace. In some embodiments, different accesspolicies can be implemented at content access interface module 202 withrespect to the content accessible through the workspace (e.g., whichpart of the presentation content is to be provided to the audience,which part of the comments are made publicly accessible, etc.). As to bediscussed later with respect to FIG. 2C, different access policies canalso be implemented during the interactive media presentation, such thatthe presenter can exercise different degrees of control over whichportion of the media presentation the audiences have access to.

Content creation and updating module 204 enables a presenter to uploador create content of the media presentation, and to create a workspaceassociated with the media presentation. Content creation and updatingmodule 204 also enables a user to add and edit annotations, comments,questions, etc. at the workspace. In some embodiments, Content creationand updating module 204 can also be configured to notify other usersabout an event with respect to either the content or the associatedworkspace (e.g., a new comment is added, the presenter has modified thepresentation content stored at the workspace, etc.). As to be describedbelow with respect to FIG. 3, the workspace can store presentationcontent 302, additional content 304 (e.g., recorded video and audio dataof the presentation from the side of the presenter and/or the side ofthe audience), access history 306, and access right definition 308.

Presentation analytics module 206 can be configured to extract datarelated to the media presentation, such as data reflecting thepresenter's handling of the media presentation, comments about thepresentation, etc. Presentation analytics module 206 can extract datafrom internal sources, such as the workspace itself, and externalsources, such as external analytics data inputs 212. In someembodiments, external analytics data inputs 212 can include one or morewebsites where other users have posted comments about the mediapresentation (e.g., Twitter™, Linkedin™, Facebook™, etc.). Presentationanalytics module 206 can then perform an analysis of the extracted datato assess a quality of the presentation, and to infer a personalpreference of an audience. In some embodiments, presentation analyticsmodule 206 can interact with content access interface module 202 tocontrol which portion of the media presentation to be provided fordisplaying to a particular audience, based on the personal preferenceinformation of that audience. In some embodiments, presentationanalytics module 206 can also add tags and annotation to thepresentation content based on a result of the analysis.

As shown in FIG. 2A, interactive presentation system 200 can alsointerface with a database 208 configured to store the content of mediapresentation and the associated workspace. In some embodiments, database208 can be part of interactive presentation system 200. In someembodiments, database 208 can be associated with an URL, enablingdatabase 208 to be accessible through the Internet.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating various components of contentcreation and updating module 204. As shown in FIG. 2B, content creationand updating module 204 includes a presentation content module 220, acontent workspace module 222, and a content formatting module 224.

Presentation content module 220 enables a user (e.g., a presenter) tostore an electronic file for a media presentation at database 208.Presentation content module 220 enables a user to upload apreviously-created presentation file of various formats, such asPowerpoint™, Keynote™, Portable Document Format (PDF), etc. Presentationcontent module 220 also enables a user to embed content from externalsources into the electronic file. The external sources includes but notlimited video sharing websites (e.g., Youtube™ and Vimeo™), photosharing websites, financial data, weather or any websites that providecontents. Presentation content module 220 also enables a user to createthe electronic file. The presentation thus created can include slides,polls, and interactive slides that allow the audiences to thepresentation to provide information during the presentation.Presentation content module 220 can also add display configurationinformation to the electronic file of the presentation. The displayconfiguration enables a browser operating to display the slide contenton a display screen to automatically adjust a display of slide content(e.g., font size, pictures, etc.) according to the display screen sizeand orientation. A user can also define access rights with respect tothe presentation. For example, a user can limit access to a particularportion of the presentation content (or its entirety) to a specificgroup of users. As to be discussed later, the access right can be seteither manually (e.g., by a user entering information into the accessright definition portion of a workspace), or automatically set byinteractive presentation system 200 during a live presentation. Thepresentation content data can be stored in database 208.

Content workspace module 222 enables a user (e.g., a presenter) tocreate or update a workspace associated with the media presentation.Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which illustrates an exemplaryworkspace 300. Workspace 300 can store a reference (e.g., a link) topresentation content 302, which can be stored separately from theworkspace. Workspace 300 can also store additional content 304.Additional content 304 can include data about any content or event thatis related to presentation content 302. For example, additional content304 can include audio and video content recorded before, during and/orafter the delivery of the presentation. Additional content 304 can alsoinclude tags, annotations, questions, and comments which reflect theinteraction between the presenter and the audiences (or a third party)related to the presentation. Additional content 304 can also record anevent (and the associated timestamp) of updating the presentationcontent. Moreover, as to be described later with respect to FIG. 2E,presentation analytics module 206 can also extract data related to themedia presentation from both external sources and internal sources(e.g., the workspace), and the extracted data can also be stored as partof additional content 304.

During the media presentation, workspace 300 can be provided to thepresenter to conduct the presentation (e.g., to enable the presenter toaccess the presentation content). Workspace 300 can also be provided tothe audiences to view the presentation as controlled by the presenter,or during other times when the presenter is not presenting. Workspace300 can be represented by one or more electronic files, with eachelectronic file representing a state of the workspace. Each time a user(e.g., a presenter, an audience, or a third party) accesses workspace300, content workspace module 222 creates a new electronic filerepresenting the latest state of the workspace, which incorporates allof the most recent modifications or additions to presentation content302 and/or additional content 304 right before the workspace isaccessed.

Workspace 300 also includes access history 306, which stores informationabout, for example, an identity of the user who accesses a particularcopy of the workspace, a timestamp indicating when the user accessesthat copy, etc. In some embodiments, content workspace module 222 candetect updates to the contents stored in the workspace and notify theusers listed in access history 306 about the updates, to enable theusers who have accessed the workspace to follow the development of thecontent stored in the workspace.

Workspace 300 also includes access right definition 308. As discussedbefore, presentation content module 220 enables a user to set accessrights with respect to different portions of the presentation content(e.g. presentation content 302). The access right information can bestored in access right definition 308. The access right information canbe represented in various formats. For example, access right definition308 can include one or more mapping tables. Each mapping table canassociate a user with a reference to the portion of the presentationcontent the user is authorized to access. The mapping table can alsoassociate a type of access right (e.g., read-only right, or edit right)with the user and with the pertinent portion of the presentationcontent. Access right definition 308 can also include access rightinformation with respect to additional content 304 (e.g., tags,annotations, questions, and comments which reflect the interactionbetween the presenter and the audiences) as well.

Moreover, the access right information stored in access right definition308 can be modified dynamically during a live presentation by contentaccess interface module 202. The access right information can bemodified according to a mode of operation during the live presentation.For example, in a presenter navigation mode, access right definition 308can be dynamically updated such that only a particular presentationslide currently being presented by the presenter is accessible to theaudience, and the audiences are not allowed to access other portions ofthe presentation. Alternatively, in an optional autonomous navigationmode, access right definition 308 can be dynamically updated such thatadditional portions of the presentation content, in addition to thepresentation slide currently being presented by the presenter, becomesaccessible to the audience. For example, the audiences can be grantedaccess to either all of the presentation content, or part of it (e.g.,being able to navigate forward or back only with respect to theparticular slide being presented, or any portion designated by thepresenter as accessible by a particular audience, etc.). At any time inautonomous navigation mode the presenter has the ability to reset theaccess right definition so that all of the audiences have access to thesame presentation content, to cause the content view of all of theaudiences to be synchronized. This function has been coined ‘Getting onthe same page.”

In some embodiments, the workspace can be associated with a URL 312,which enables the workspace to be accessible over the Internet. The URL312 can be included in an electronic message (e.g. Outlook™ Invitation)to an audience, who can then access the workspace by clicking on the URLincluded in the message. The URL can be automatically generated bycontent workspace module 222 when the workspace is created. In someembodiments, a special URL (e.g., a URL that includes a name stringselected by a presenter) can be used to identify a workspace from whicha live presentation is to be conducted. The special URL can beassociated with, for example, a presenter, a company, an event, a topic,or a class. Such an arrangement, instead of using random strings toconstruct the URL, provides a simple and consistent way for the users toaccess any live presentation provided by a particular presenter orcompany, or for a particular event, topic, or class. As to be discussedlater with respect to FIG. 2C, the special URL can also be used tocontrol the content delivered to a user. The workspace can also beassociated with a status 310 configured to store additional information(e.g., a summary of the presentation topic) about the workspace, tofurther facilitate a search and a retrieval for the workspace. Inaddition, the presenter can switch the workspace being associated withthe special URL. Such an arrangement allows a user to use the same URLto access any workspace designated by the presenter, who may beswitching to a different presentation workspace.

In some embodiments, content workspace module 222 also provides a notestool that enables a user to create and edit textual notes (e.g. commentsand questions), and annotations to be stored at the workspace.

The notes tool also enables the user to set different access rights todifferent parts of the textual notes. For example, after a user insertsa comment to the presentation for her own use, the user can mark thatcomment as private, so that the comment is accessible only to her. Onthe other hand, after a user posts a comment or a question to be viewedby other users, the user can mark the comment and the question aspublic, so that the comment is accessible to other users. The user canalso further customize the access rights for the textual notes so thatthe notes become accessible to a selected group of users. As discussedbefore, these access rights information can be stored in the accessright definition (e.g., access right definition 308) of the workspace.

Moreover, the notes tool can also be configured to link the notes andannotations to a portion of the presentation content or the additionalcontent (e.g., recorded video and audio), such that the user cannavigate from a particular note or annotation to the associated portionof the presentation content or the additional content. The notes toolalso enables the user to organize the notes using tags. The users canalso set the access policy to the content of the notes by designatingportions of the notes to be shared with specific users, or publiclysearchable, so that the users can use the notes tool to form a communityforum to exchange information and comments related to the presentation.As discussed before, content workspace module 222 can detect the changesto the content stored in a workspace. Content workspace module 222 canalso detect the changes to the notes and annotations, and notify theusers listed in access history 306 of the workspace, enabling theseusers to follow the development of the workspace (e.g., new comments andquestions posted, edits to the presentation, etc.).

In some embodiments, content workspace module 222 also manages thechanges to the electronic files representing the workspace made by otherusers. Content workspace module 222 can maintain a master copy of theworkspace that incorporates all the edits and additions to the content(e.g. presentation content and additional content) stored at theworkspace. After providing an electronic copy of the workspace to auser, content workspace module 222 can detect the changes made by thatuser to the content stored in the workspace, and propagate the changesto the master copy of the workspace. In some embodiments, contentworkspace module 222 also enables a user to retrieve at least some ofthe electronic files representing the workspace, thereby enabling theuser to access all of the previously-stored states of the workspace.

Referring back to FIG. 2B, content creation and updating module 204 alsoincludes content formatting module 224. Content formatting module 224provides a unified format of at least some of the contents (e.g.,presentation content 302, additional content 304, etc.). As discussedbefore, presentation content module 220 enables a user to upload apreviously-created presentation file of various formats, such asPowerpoint™, Keynote™, PDF, etc. Content formatting module 224 canconvert a presentation file of various formats to a unified format, suchas HyperText Markup Language (HTML), to facilitate searching of thepresentation content. Content format module 22 e can also convert atleast some of additional content (e.g., additional content 304 includingcomments and questions) to HTML as well to facilitate searching of theadditional content. In some embodiments, the converted content canincludes tags and annotations added by a user or by presentationanalytics module 206, as described before.

FIG. 2C is a block diagram illustrating various components of contentaccess interface module 202. As shown in FIG. 2C, content accessinterface module 202 includes content workspace retrieval module 230,presentation content delivery module 232, presentation facilitationmodule 234, and engagement module 236.

Content workspace retrieval module 230 enables to a user to search forand retrieve a workspace. In some embodiments, content workspaceretrieval module 230 can organize the workspace based on one or morecriteria, such a popularity (of being searched), a particular subject,one or more attributes of the presenters associated with the workspaces,etc. Responsive to a search request, content workspace retrieval module230 can create a list of URLs representing the workspaces, and a usercan retrieve and access the workspaces by clicking on the URLs.

Presentation content delivery module 232 is configured to determinewhich portion of the presentation content stored in the workspace is tobe displayed to a user at any given time. For example, when a workspaceis being accessed to provide a live presentation, as signaled by thespecial URL as described with respect to FIG. 3, presentation contentdelivery module 232 can be configured to suspend displaying of contentto the audience (while maintaining the displaying of content to thepresenter), or to display a particular content (e.g., some words fromthe presenter, advertisement, etc.) to the audience. The particularcontent can also be stored in the workspace, either as part of thepresentation content or the additional content.

On the other hand, when the live presentation is underway, presentationcontent delivery module 232 can be configured to select particularpresentation content stored in the workspace for displaying to both thepresenter and the audience. In some case, the selection by thepresentation content delivery module 232 can be controlled manually bythe presenter controlling the flow of the presentation, or by theaudience, according to a mode of operation (e.g., presenter navigationmode and autonomous navigation mode). The mode of operation can beswitched during the presentation. During such transitions, the portionof the content to be provided for displaying by presentation contentdelivery module 232 can be updated as directed by the presenter.Presentation content delivery module 232 can also provide the contentfor displaying before or after the live-presentation, under the controlof a user who have access right to the workspace and the presentationcontent.

In some embodiments, during the live presentation, presentation contentdelivery module 232 can also be configured to automatically providedifferent portions of the presentation for displaying to different usersbased on the content being presented by the presenter. As anillustrative example, when the presenter pushes a poll to an audience,presentation content delivery module 232 can deliver differentpresentation contents to the presenter and to the audience, such thatthe audience's view of the content is a slide containing the pollquestion, while the presenter's view of the content is a slidecontaining a chart of results based on audience's responses to the poll.

In some embodiments, presentation content delivery module 232 can alsoautomatically select a portion of presentation content for accessing, byupdating access right definition 308 stored at the workspace, based onan input from the audience. As an illustrative example, after thepresenter pushes as poll, and the audience's answers to the pollindicates that the audiences are employees of a particular company,presentation content delivery module 232 can automatically select thepresentation content to be displayed in a manner that reflects thestatus about the audience. Such a personalization of presentationcontent delivery can occur automatically and dynamically based on arange of variables including but not limited to previous actions,passive behaviors, personal characteristics, and configuration appliedby the presenter to presentation content delivery module 232. In someembodiments, presentation content delivery module 232 can also selectthe content to be delivered based on data provided by presentationanalytics module 206 after it extracts and analyzes the data about thepresentation.

Presentation facilitation module 234 is configured to provideinformation which can assist a presenter in conducting a livepresentation. In some embodiments, presentation facilitation module 234includes a timer. The timer can be configured to monitor how much of thepresentation content has been presented and, based on a timemeasurement, to provide feedback to the presenter (and/or the audience)about whether the presentation is ahead, behind, or in line with theschedule.

In some embodiments, presentation facilitation module 234 also includesa teleprompter tool. The teleprompter tool can be configured to analyzea speech of the presenter and associate it with a particularpresentation slide, or other piece of content, and automatically switchbetween the content based on a result of the analysis, to keep pace withthe speech of the presenter.

In some embodiments, presentation facilitation module 234 also includesan audience action indicator. The audience action indicator can beconfigured to monitor an action performed by the audiences during thepresentation. The action can reflect an interest or sentiment of theaudiences in response to the presentation. For example, as discussedbefore with respect to FIG. 2C, during the autonomous navigation mode,presentation content delivery module 232 can provide access to theaudience portions of presentation data in addition to what is beingselected for presenting, thereby enabling the audiences to access adifferent presentation slide than the one the presenter is presenting.When operating under the autonomous navigation, the audience actionindicator can collect information about which portion of thepresentation content is accessed by different audience, and provide asummary. For example, referring to FIG. 4A, the live indicator tool canindicate, via an interface 402, the number of audiences who arenavigating behind (3), ahead of (5), or at the presentation slide (8)that is currently being presented. Such information can reflect aninterest of the audience, and the presenter can adjust the pace ofpresentation accordingly.

In some embodiments, the live indicator tool can also collectinformation about other actions from the audience. For example, asdiscussed before, a presenter can push a poll to the audiences atdifferent times during the presentation. The live indicator tool cancollect the responses from the audiences at those moments, and provide agraphical summary. For example, referring to FIG. 4B, the live indicatortool collects the responses from the audiences. The responses can becategorized as “upvote” (to indicate a positive sentiment) or “downvote”(to indicate a negative sentiment), and a plot of the number of received“upvotes” and “downvotes,” with respect to time, are provided. Moreover,as shown in FIG. 4B, the number of “upvotes” and “downvotes” receivedfrom a particular user (e.g., from audience #1) can be plottedseparately from the responses received from other users. Suchinformation can reflect a sentiment of the audiences, and the presentercan also adjust the flow of the presentation accordingly.

Engagement module 236 is configured to allow additional interactionsbetween the users. As shown in FIG. 2D, engagement module 236 includes acommunication module 240 and a commerce module 242.

Communication module 240 enables users who are both accessing aworkspace to communicate with each other. Communication module 240 alsoenables the users to create a text-based communication session whileaccessing a workspace, and to control who can participate in thecommunication session. As discussed before, a workspace can beassociated with a status, and a user can indicate an intention to engagein a communication session to broadcast the intention in the status,which can also be searched. In some embodiments, communication module240 also enables the audiences to transmit and broadcast audio data andvideo during a live presentation, to raise a question or add a comment.

Commerce module 242 enables presenters and users associated with aworkspace to engage in a transaction (e.g., sale and purchase of contentor products or services, or other commercial commitments). In someembodiments, commerce module 242 enables a user to set up a mechanism oftransfer of things of value (e.g., money or points), and an access to aparticular content can be predicated on the transfer. For example, auser may be able to sell content including notes, answers to questions,presentation content, etc., that are stored at the workspace, andanother user can access these contents after initiating a transfer ofmoney or points through commerce module 242. In some embodiments,commerce module 242 also enables a user to sell items not created orstored at the workspace. For example, a presenter at a charity functioncan solicit donations during a presentation, and receive the donationthrough commerce module 242. In addition, commerce module 242 can alsobe configured to display customized advertising inventory. In someembodiments, commerce module 242 can collect information stored in theworkspace (e.g., records of comments and events, the identities of usersassociated with or following the workspace, etc.) and provide thecollected information to a remote advertising serving system. The remoteadvertising serving system can customize an advertising inventory fordisplaying based on the information, and then transmit the advertisinginventory back to commerce module 242 for displaying.

FIG. 2E is a block diagram illustrating various components ofpresentation analytics module 206. As shown in FIG. 2E, presentationanalytics module 206 includes analytics data extraction module 250, andengagement assessment module 252.

Analytics data extraction module 250 extracts data that can be used foran assessment of a quality of the presentation, from the standpoints ofboth the presenter and the audiences. The data extracted can includetextual data from both internal sources (e.g., presentation content andadditional contents stored at the workspace) and external sources (e.g.,social media websites). In some embodiments, analytics data extractionmodule 250 can parse the textual data (e.g., from the presentationcontent, questions, comments, etc.), and then perform natural languageprocessing to extract concepts (e.g., things, places, persons, context,etc.). In some embodiments, based on a result of processing, analyticsdata extraction module 250 can annotate the content (e.g., presentationcontent, comments, etc.) with tags. Such tags can indicate the extractedconcepts.

In some embodiments, analytics data extraction module 250 can alsoperform video recognition and speech to text processing to extractinformation from the recorded audio and video data of the presentation.

In some embodiments, analytics data extraction module 250 can alsoextract information about one or more actions undertaken by the users.Those actions can include, for example, the audiences' responses to apoll, the audience's action (or attempted action) to navigate todifferent portions of the presentation content, the presenter'stransitioning between presentation slides, a user's access to theworkspace after the presentation, etc. Information about the durationsfor those actions will also be collected. The data and informationextracted by analytics data extraction module 250 can be stored in theworkspace associated with the presentation as additional content 304.

Engagement assessment module 252 can perform an assessment of a qualityof engagement between the presenter and the audience based on the dataextracted by analytics data extraction module 250, based on a set ofmetrics. The metrics can include, for example, average time spent by thepresenter on each presentation slide, sentiment of the audience (asreflected by their responses to the poll and the comments), the numberof users accessing the workspace associated with the presentation andfollowing the development of the presentation, etc. The duration of theactions can also be factored into the assessment. For example, in somecases, a number of positive responses received within a short span oftime can be given more weight than when the same number of responses isreceived within a longer span of time.

The result of these analyses can be provided to, for example,presentation content delivery module 232 of FIG. 2C to update theconducting of the presentation. For example, if according to a result ofthe analysis, the system predicts that the audience will be lessinterested at some of the slides, presentation content delivery module232 can allocate less time for presenting those slides can be reduced,or do not provide those slides for displaying at all to the audience.

FIG. 5A-5D are diagrams illustrating exemplary interfaces 500, 530, 560,and 590 for providing an interactive media presentation, consistent withembodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, interfaces500, 530, 560 and 590 enable a user to access some of the components ofinteractive presentation system 200 described with respect to FIGS.2A-2E.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5A, which illustrates an interface 500.Interface 500 enables a user to access his or her workspace to create ormodify presentation content, and to set the access rights, after logginginto the system (e.g., system 200 of FIG. 2A). As shown in FIG. 5A,after a user (John) logs into the system to access his workspace,interface 500 is provided. Interface 500 provides an add content option502. Upon activation of add content option 502, interface 500 canprovide content creation options 504, 506, and 508. Content creationoption 504 enables a user to upload a previously-created presentationfile of various formats, such as Powerpoint™, Keynote™, PDF, etc.Content creation option 504 enables a user to embed content fromexternal sources into the presentation. In this illustrative example,content creation option 506 enables a user to embed video from Youtube™.Content creation option 508 enables a user to create a poll (or othermeans for engaging with the audience) to create an interactivepresentation.

Interface 500 also provides share option 510 a broadcast option 512, anda publish option (not shown in FIG. 5A), which enable the user to setthe access rights to the presentation created. For example, share option510 enables the user to define a list of users who can access thepresentation (or portions of it). Broadcast option 512 enables the userto send an invitation to a list of audience to join a live presentation.Broadcast option 512 also enables the user to set access rights withrespect to the presentation content. For example, the user can set anoptional access code which the audience needs to provide to join a livepresentation. Add content option 502, share option 510, and broadcastoption 512 are only available to a user who has edit right to theworkspace, and are provided according to information stored at theaccess right definition 308. In some embodiments, interface 500 enablesthe user to provide inputs (e.g., access right information, presentationcontent information, etc.) to presentation content module 220 of FIG.2B, and the information provided can be stored at a workspace (e.g.,workspace 300 of FIG. 3).

Reference is now made to FIG. 5B, which illustrates an interface 530.Interface 530 enables a user to add comments, to post questions, and toengage with other users. As shown in FIG. 5B, interface 530 includesactivity option 532, user listing option 534, and notes option 536.Activity option 532 enables a user to engage with other users throughposting questions (by activating ask question option 540) or makingcomments (by activating make comment option 542). After activity option532 is activated, an activity interface 538 can be displayed, and theuser can type in questions or comments to be displayed in activityinterface 538. In some embodiments, the data for the questions andcomments are then provided to content workspace module 222 of FIG. 2B,which then stores the data in the workspace (e.g., as part of additionalcontent 304). User listing option 534 enables a user to view a list ofusers who have access to the workspace, and their statuses (e.g.,whether they are currently attending the live presentation, or accessingthe workspace, etc.). Upon activation of user listing option 534, aninterface can be displayed to provide a graphical representation of theusers and their statuses (not shown in FIG. 5B). In some embodiments,user listing option 534 also enable access to the social networkingprofiles (e.g., Twitter™, Linkedin™, Facebook™, etc.) of these users.

In some embodiments, from the interface, the user can start a text-basedcommunication, through communication module 240 of FIG. 2D, with anotheruser represented in the interface. Notes option 536 enables a user tocreate and edit textual notes that are private to the user. In someembodiments, notes option 536 interfaces with the notes tool of contentworkspace module 222. The access rights to various portions of thecontent created via activity option 532, user listing option 534, andnotes option 536 can be configured through share option 510 andbroadcast option 512, as discussed before.

Interface 530 also includes a presentation slide navigation interface542, which displays a presentation slide selected by the user. Theselection can be made via a navigation bar 544. In some embodiments,presentation slide navigation interface 542 receives a selection of apresentation slide (through navigation bar 544), and provides theselection information to presentation content delivery module 232 ofFIG. 2C, which then selects the relevant portion of presentation contentdata stored in the workspace according to the selection, and providesthe data for displaying to presentation slide navigation interface 542.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5C, which illustrates an interface 560.Interface 560 enables a user to access other person's workspaces.Interface 560 can display a list of presentation workspaces. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 5C, interface 560 displays a selectable icon562 to represent a presentation the user (John) is following. Icon 562can display information about the presentation, such as the author(Andrew) and the title. In some embodiments, icon 562 can also displayan indication (e.g., through change of color, or other means) that theassociated workspace has been updated, after content workspace module222 stores a message at the user's workspace to notify the user aboutmodifications to the presentation (or to the additional content storedat the workspace associated with the presentation). The user cannavigate to the listed presentation workspace upon activating icon 562.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5D, which illustrates an interface 590.Interface 590 displays to a user the content stored at a workspace theuser follows, upon activating icon 562 of FIG. 5C. Interface 590 alsodisplays biography information 592 of the presentation. Interface 590also displays a list of questions and comments provided by other usersthrough interface 538. Interface 590 also provides access to the contentof the presentation through presentation slide navigation interface 542and navigation bar 544. In this illustrative example, add content option502, share option 510, and broadcast option 512 of FIGS. 5A and 5B arenot available, and are not provided in interface 590, as the user (John)is not authorized to edit the content stored at the workspace owned bythe author (Andrew), according to access right definition 308 stored inthe workspace. In other cases, when the author grants other users theright to edit the presentation, add content option 502, share option510, and broadcast option 512 will be provided.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 600 for providingan interactive media presentation, consistent with embodiments of thepresent disclosure. Method 600 can be performed by interactivepresentation system 200 of FIG. 2A. While the methods are described asbeing performed by interactive presentation system 200, it isappreciated that other components of interactive presentation system orother devices can be involved. It will also be readily appreciated thatthe illustrated procedure can be altered to delete steps or furtherinclude additional steps.

In step 602, the system (e.g., content workspace module 222) receives arequest from an audience device (e.g., a mobile device) to join a livepresentation hosted by the system. The content of the live presentationis stored in a workspace. The audience device can transmit the requestafter detecting that the audience clicks on an URL that identifies theworkspace from which the live presentation is to be conducted.

In step 604, responsive to receiving the request, content workspacemodule 222 creates a copy of an electronic file that stores the lateststate of the workspace, incorporating all of the most recentmodifications or additions to presentation content and/or additionalcontent right before the workspace is accessed in step 602. In step 606,the system provides the copy of the electronic file for accessing by theaudience device, enabling the user to participate in the livepresentation.

In step 608, the system (e.g., presentation content delivery module 232)selects a first portion of the presentation content for displaying atthe audience device. The first portion can be selected by presentationcontent delivery module 232 based on a mode of operation and the accessright information defined in the workspace. For example, during thepresenter navigation mode, the first portion is the portion of thepresentation content being displayed to the presenter. On the otherhand, during the autonomous navigation mode, the first portion can be aportion of the presentation content requested by the audience (e.g.,requested via navigation bar 544 of FIG. 5B), provided that the audienceis granted access right to that portion of the presentation content.

In step 610, presentation content delivery module 232 receives feedbackinformation generated from the audience device. The feedback informationcan be in different forms. For example, the audience can transmit,through the audience device, a response to a poll presented during thelive presentation. The audience can also add comments, via contentworkspace module 222, to the workspace. The comments can be extractedand analyzed by presentation analytics module 206.

Based on a result of the analysis by presentation analytics module 206,or the audience's response to the poll, presentation content deliverymodule 232 selects a second portion of the presentation content to bedisplayed in step 612. For example, if the result of the analysis, oraudience's response to the poll, indicates that the audience may havenegative perception about a certain portion of the presentation,presentation analytics module 206 can disregard that certain portionfrom the selection. The second portion of the presentation content canalso be selected based on the result of the analysis or the audience'sresponse to the poll.

According to some embodiments, the operations, techniques, and/orcomponents described herein can be implemented by an electronic device,which can include one or more special-purpose computing devices. Thespecial-purpose computing devices can be hard-wired to perform theoperations, techniques, and/or components described herein, or caninclude digital electronic devices such as one or moreapplication-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmablegate arrays (FPGAs) that are persistently programmed to perform theoperations, techniques and/or components described herein, or caninclude one or more hardware processors programmed to perform suchfeatures of the present disclosure pursuant to program instructions infirmware, memory, other storage, or a combination. Such special-purposecomputing devices can also combine custom hard-wired logic, ASICs, orFPGAs with custom programming to accomplish the technique and otherfeatures of the present disclosure. The special-purpose computingdevices can be desktop computer systems, portable computer systems,handheld devices, networking devices, or any other device thatincorporates hard-wired and/or program logic to implement the techniquesand other features of the present disclosure.

The one or more special-purpose computing devices can be generallycontrolled and coordinated by operating system software, such as iOS,Android, Blackberry, Chrome OS, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7,Windows 8, Windows Server, Windows CE, Unix, Linux, SunOS, Solaris,VxWorks, or other compatible operating systems. In other embodiments,the computing device can be controlled by a proprietary operatingsystem. Operating systems control and schedule computer processes forexecution, perform memory management, provide file system, networking,I/O services, and provide a user interface functionality, such as agraphical user interface (“GUI”), among other things.

The aforementioned systems described herein have many uses and may beused in a variety of scenarios. For example, the methods and systemsdescribed herein may be used in systems for delivering advertising to auser of a mobile device. For example, a user can identify an item,topic, scenery, or location of interest while visiting a place, readinga publication, or watching a movie. Using the inventive systems andmethods herein, the user can take a snapshot of the item, the scenery,or anything of interest, and generate an image. The image can becaptured including surrounding area and at any view angle. The systemthen extracts features from the image, generates a query includingfeature descriptors corresponding to at least some of the images, andsubmits the query for a search based on the extracted features to aremote server. The additional information that may be displayed to theuser can be provided for free to the user, or some or all of theinformation may be in the form of paid advertising. In some scenarios,one entity may provide the search service and charge vendors for sendingthe additional information about products or services that are sent tousers. In some scenarios, mobile device users may be charged for theability to retrieve information on products or services using theaforementioned methods and systems.

In the foregoing specification, embodiments have been described withreference to numerous specific details that can vary from implementationto implementation. Certain adaptations and modifications of thedescribed embodiments can be made. Other embodiments can be apparent tothose skilled in the art from consideration of the specification andpractice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that thespecification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a truescope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the followingclaims. It is also intended that the sequence of steps shown in figuresare only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be limited toany particular sequence of steps. As such, those skilled in the art canappreciate that these steps can be performed in a different order whileimplementing the same method.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for providing an interactivepresentation to an audience device, the system interfacing with adatabase storing presentation content and a workspace, the workspacestoring the presentation content and additional content and storing oneor more access policies and being associated with a first user, thesystem comprising a processor for executing one or more modulescomprising: a content creation and updating module configured to enablean updating of the presentation content and the additional contentaccording to the one or more access policies; and a content accessinterface module configured to determine one or more portions of thepresentation content and the additional content for accessing at theaudience device according to the one or more access policies.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the content creation and updating modulefurther includes a content workspace module configured to: receive arequest from the audience device to participate in the interactivepresentation; create a copy of the workspace; and provide the copy ofthe workspace for accessing by the audience device.
 3. The system ofclaim 2, further configured to associate the workspace with a UniformResource Locator (URL).
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the URLincludes a predetermined string configured to indicate that the copy ofthe workspace is provided to enable the audience device to participatein the interactive presentation.
 5. The system of claim 3, wherein theURL enables the content access interface module to determine to displaya designated content to the audience until the interactive presentationstarts.
 6. The system of claim 3, further configured to, responsive toreceiving an instruction from the first user, to associate the URL withanother workspace.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the contentcreation and updating module is further configured to include displayconfiguration information in an electronic file storing the presentationcontent, the display configuration information enabling the audiencedevice to adjust a displaying of the presentation content.
 8. The systemof claim 1, wherein the content creation and updating module is furtherconfigured to receive and store updates to the additional content by asecond user.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the workspace storescontact information of the second user, and wherein content creation andupdating module is further configured to: detect an update to thepresentation content and/or the additional content; and notify thesecond user about the detected update.
 10. The system of claim 9,wherein the notification of the second user comprises storing a messageat a workspace associated with the second user.
 11. The system of claim1, further comprising a presentation analytics module configured to:generate an assessment of a quality of engagement between the first userand the audience; and determine the one or more portions of thepresentation content for displaying to the audience device based on theassessment.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the presentationanalytics module is further configured to analyze the additionalcontent, and wherein the assessment of a quality of engagement isgenerated based on the analysis.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein thepresentation analytics module is further configured to detect aselection of a presentation slide for displaying by the audience duringthe interactive presentation, and wherein the assessment of a quality ofengagement is generated based on the detected selection.
 14. The systemof claim 11, wherein the content creation and updating module isconfigured to enable the first user to solicit a response from a seconduser associated with the audience device during the interactivepresentation, and wherein the assessment of a quality of engagement isgenerated based on the response from the audience.
 15. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the content access interface module further comprises apresentation content delivery module configured to dynamically modifythe one or more access policies dynamically during the interactivepresentation.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the presentationcontent delivery is further configured to modify the one or more accesspolicies to enable the audience to access a first portion of thepresentation content while the first user is accessing a second portionof the presentation content.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein thecontent creation and updating module is configured to modify the one ormore process policies based on a response from an audience associatedwith the audience device during the interactive presentation.
 18. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprising a communication module configuredto enable and record communication between a second user and a thirduser.
 19. A method for providing an interactive media presentation, themethod being implemented by a system interfacing with a database storingpresentation content and a workspace, the workspace storing thepresentation content and additional content and storing one or moreaccess policies, the method comprising: receiving, from an audiencedevice, a request to join the interactive media presentation; creating acopy of the workspace; providing the copy of the workspace for accessingby the audience device; selecting a first portion of the presentationcontent stored at the copy of the workspace for displaying at theaudience device; receiving feedback information from the audiencedevice; and selecting a second portion of the presentation content fordisplaying based on the feedback information.
 20. The method of claim19, wherein the selecting of the first portion of the presentationcontent stored at the copy of the workspace for displaying at theaudience device comprises updating the one or more access policiesdynamically during the interactive media presentation.